To ask if anyone else has NEVER cooked Christmas dinner

[OrtolanLBunting]

Or lunch depending on when you have the main meal.

I'm well into middle age but have never done it. Am happy to peel veg, set the table, clear away and wash up every single thing.

But cook it - never! wouldn't know where to start. And don't go saying it's just a Sunday roast cos I've never done one of those either.

Anyone else?

I haven't, it's not a meal I want to eat and I'm certainly not interested in being in the kitchen for hours or prepping the day before. My husband usually works Christmas day so we eat as we usually do.

Nope, Don't even do a Sunday roast, as I never get the timings right. I cook from scratch most days, so I leave roast dinners/ Christmas to people who know how to do it ( MIL/ DH) and put my feet up with a Baileys!

I haven’t but I certainly can if needed. What do you mean, you wouldn’t know where to start? Have you never used a recipe?
Besides Christmas dinner can be whatever you want it to be.

Never done it. I've cooked one regular roast dinner in my life and it was extremely stressful.

Had they not heard of M&S? Get everything ready made, bung in oven, surely?

I don't like christmas dinner so I've never cooked it. I only have it if we're not at home so there's no option to do something else.

Hostess tray/warming tray is your friend. They aren’t expensive. Means we can get all the veg ready and have time to sit and have a drink with any guests before serving up.

Me. I have never ever even done a full Sunday roast. I've always either gone to my mum's or other people's houses or, in more recent years, dh has cooked them. I do do the reheat the following day, though.

I've done it for the last 10 years, since my mother died. I hadn't done it before then, though she said that I could take over when she was 70. She was only 66 when she died.

I'd rather like someone else to take a turn now! My youngest sister has promised they will host once their house is in a better state. It'll be her DH who cooks though, as he is very much the cook in their house. My other sister and her husband will never host, it's just not their thing, plus their house isn't really big enough. I don't really mind - I don't think everyone has to do it. Some people are just better placed than others.

If it was just Xmas dinner then it wouldn't be a big deal at all. It's the two or three days of hosting that takes a lot of planning and organizing, even if other people contribute. I will get BIL to take over Boxing Day brunch at least.

Why's that?

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g @FrenchandSaunders my husband does the traditional Christmas dinner so family still gets one. Tbh though the family I have that I would invite to a Christmas dinner are all elderly and don't eat much these days so they would be fine with it if husband didn't do it or we had something else.
Re chips vs roasties - roasties are too chunky. When I was a kid the only way I would eat roasties was if they were cut really small - so essentially chips.
I prefer mash. The times I do have to suffer roasties now I usually mush them before eating!

Also, lots of people can't cook. My sister spends half her life reading and whilst she does cook she's epically bad at it and I can assure you, you wouldn't want to eat the food she makes.

Me. In our house the main cook (me) gets a rest on Christmas Day and the partner steps up.

Glad I am not married to someone who expects me to cook, just because I cook all year round.

The last few years, my Mum, who has good naturedly martyred herself through the Christmas dinner for my entire life despite all offers of help, has decided to just serve nibbles now.

It works so well. We just bang various party food in the oven at different points in the day and graze on nuts, satsumas, cheese and biscuits. Fabulous!

( Mum stresses about the nibbles just as much as she used to the full roast dinner, though...)

No. I’ve done it every year since I was 19 (38 now) for between 6 and 15 people.

Last year I had covid so at least I only had to cater for our lot.

But it’s fucking tedious and I’m sick of it! Bah humbug.

Me, and proud of it! Don't like roast dinners, and especially not turkey. Only two of us, so it would be very wasteful anyway. Why can't we just eat whatever we enjoy on what is supposed to be a day of celebration?

I'm 38 and I've never cooked Christmas dinner. It's either been at my parents house, DP cooks it, or we've eaten out on Christmas Day. My favourite of all these options is to eat out, no mess to clean up afterwards and DP isn't absent for hours in the kitchen while I entertain the kids - win win!

I've cooked it once for ex husband and me when we were at home. After that we went to my mother (her choice) and after my divorce I went to her. She refused to travel to me so we did it together for the two of us. My sister never invited us to hers.

I hadn't cooked Christmas dinner until we started having Christmas at home. We lived hundreds of miles from our families and alternated visiting them each year. I used to help of course.

I enjoy cooking and am a competent cook, but I am not above using a few short cuts.

DD cooked our veggie Christmas dinner last year and will do the same this year. I just helped with the prep. I had a relaxing morning last year sitting on the settee sipping wine 🍷

I never have, although I am assistant chef and do all the planning. I also do a lot of prep in advance. When younger my parents cooked and now I'm a middle aged mum DH takes the lead (but i help - it's not just lounging around with champagne)

I have done a couple of times over the years but my husband is the cook in our house, and he has it down to a fine art now. I of course help out when/if he needs help.

Pretty much. As an adult I've only ever spent Christmas either at my parents house or at my sister's house. In 2020 we were at home but as there were only 2 of us and one is veggie we got pre-made reheat at home meals from a local restaurant.

@pinkspeakers I live alone so it's cheaper to get a carvery from too good to go!
My parents worked Christmas so we didn't get to eat Christmas dinner, one year they didn't so we had a full extended family Christmas and our first Christmas meal

Not the traditional turkey etc. as neither of us like turkey.

I do cook a rib of beef though with various veg and then we usually have fancy ice cream for dessert as Christmas pudding would be too heavy for us. There is only ever the two of us nowadays as our adult DD has sld and the centre where she lives always have their own party so we visit DD in the morning until she boots us out. 🤣

In fact one year my car broke down on the motorway on Christmas Eve. My sister left my mother on her own on Christmas day. The Christmas dinner was in my car.